From Thursday last week I have had limited internet access. One minute it works, the next minute it doesn’t! Sometimes it won’t work for hours on end. I run my online business full-time so am very reliant on the internet connection, without it there isn’t a great deal I can do - no email’s, nothing. So to say I have been frustrated with the provider is an understatement!

It has got me thinking a little bit about whether my business is fragile.

I am now behind on my schedule and have to work the extra time to catch up. Not really a big problem, nothing that will harm my business has happened. However it does feel like a problem given that I have no control over my internet connection (apart from changing providers of course but I’m not just going to suddenly change right now). So this could happen again.

Imagine if important emails had been sent to me, or I had to complete time-limited tasks. I may have missed opportunites as well from my general activities on the web. The consequences could have been much worse.

So How Can Your Business Be Fragile?

• Internet connection - what would happen if you suddenly have no internet access for 5 or 6 days? How would you keep your day-to-day running of the business going?
• Economic downturn - how protected are you from the economic downturn? Are your products the sort that customers will stop buying?
• Suppliers - how are your suppliers doing, are they looking solid? What happens if they suddenly close their business, what would you do?
• Business model/products - are your products ‘trend’ items? What if customers suddenly stop buying your products because of media reports, could you survive or are you reliant on one product/customer?
• Business cash flow - if you only work part-time on your online business how solid is your day job? If you lose that will you still have money to put into your business to keep it going forward?
• Hackers - how protected is your website from hackers? Do your routinely back-up your website, what would happen if it was hacked and all customer details stolen?
• Your Health - what happens if you have an accident or health problems, how will your business survive? Do you have someone that could takeover tomorrow?

In no way am I trying to scare you with this post, I just want you to realise your business may not be as solid and safe as you think. If you have spent years building up your business it is worth investing your time to protect it. If I lost everything tomorrow I would be ruined, a thought I don’t want to entertain.

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Image: bb_matt